WHere men are confident, that, through the partiallity or prejudice of the Hearers or Readers, their Ad­versaries are condemned already; they study not so much how to argue, as to reproach; nor how to prove a guilt, as how to aggravate a guilt presumed. Such hath been the fair dea­ling we Sufferers have had from our Oppressors in these late days. The question never being put, Whether according to the Rule of the Scripture we were capacitated for the Ministery? or accor­ding to the Rule of the Law of the Land rightly invested in our Li­vings?

But they thought it enough to run us down with a full cry' that we were Baalls Pri [...]sts, Ceremony-mongers, Popishly-affect­ed, Malignants, Formalists, &c. and to exalt themselves for the only Soul-saving sin-swinging, Church-reforming, Ordinances purifying Ministers, &c.

[Page 2]But (we hope) it is not an affected and ill-joynted Cant, that will charm those just & rightful Judges, before whom our Cause is now depending; And to them: and all the world in the name of our selves and our suffering Brethren, we are confident to offer these things;

First, That if any of us, who were ejected, were ever proved either Ignorant, Scandalous, or Superstitious, we are contented to be again turned out of our Livings, the very next day, after the Law hath re-settled us therein.

Only this we hope, that we shall not be judged (as of late we were) by Taylors and Shoe-makers, Joyners and Pewterers, or (which is worse) Anabaptists, Socinians, Quakers, Athiests, King-killers, with two or three dull Temporizers, shuffled in for Assistants; nor that we shall have our using the Lords Prayer, or kneeling at our prayers or being uncovered at the worship of God, to go for Superstition; or our Loyalty to our Sovereign, and Obedience to lawful Constitutions, both Ecclesiastical and Civil to be reckoned for scandal.

Let th [...]se judge us, that by the Rule of the Scriptures, and the Law of the Land are to judge us, and let them judge us by those two [...]ules, and we are contented to stand, or fall, as such a Judgment shall conclude of us. We are most of us as ready to confess, as our Adversaries are to charge it, that there were many who deserved censure.

But that it was not their demerits and guilt, (but either the value of their Benefices, or the considerableness of their Parts and reputation) that laid most of us under the censure of the usur­ped Powers, we could easily evince, if the world had not already, the proof of it so clear, that they have brought it to a Proverb, Such a mans Living o [...] his Learning made him a Malignant. And if our Adversaries will call for further proof, they must par­don us, if we come to names, in telling the Story, that when one of their own gang in the University begged That his Tutor might not be ejected, pleading, that he was a very honest, godly and lear­ned man▪ some replyed, Oh! but your Tutor, being not for our cause he must be the rather ejected; for such a one will do our Cause more harm, then if he were either Ignorant, or Scand­dalous. And it is no hard matter, to gather up a Jury of such [Page 3] abominable transactions, that will evidence, the designe not to have been for real reformation, but the setting up of their own faction.

Secondly, This we offer to prove (every man of us) against his own Church Pyrate, that he is, or hath been ignorant, or scanda­lous, or in default of our proof, wee'l discharge them, for all the profits of our livings, and places, except the fifth [...]; And that they may see we can make good this offer in a great measure, let them but call for one, that ran through sequestered Living after Living, and in one dropt a Son, in another a Son in Law, in a third a Kinsman, and we can tell how to spell his name.

Let them inquire for another that had Preached against self (till as the Mayor of the Town told him) he had preached self into above a 1000l. per annum—and we suppose we shall be able easily to answer the question: Or if they send hue and cry after Convict Drunkards, Extortioners, Revilers, Subor­ners of their very Fathers to forswear themselves, or those who promoted the first Petition to bring the King to his Try­all and Condemnation; and men of the like brand▪ we are sure we can name some such possest at present (or very lately) of some of our livings.

But we confess the very writing of these Blanks is that which we could hardly have brought our selves to, had we not seen it necessary to stop the mouths of our Slanderers by just recrimina­tions; Not that we accuse all: For here we f [...]eely profess to be­lieve (and we are sure we can have the suffrages of multitudes of our suffering Brethren in this matter,) that many who have en­tred upon living that were vac [...]nted by sequestration, yet were men very learned, truly Godly, Charitable, Humble, and Just and eminently labourious in the work of their Ministery, and took up the places they entred on, for the works sake, not for the wages.

And we our selves know many of them so well qualified, that we could readily have set down under their Ministry, and Communicated in all Ordinances with them, during the violent suspension of our selves from the exercise of our Ministry.

But we deny again, this last Character to be due to any, who contrived aud promoted the ejecting of a Minister, and entred [Page 4] ( Ahab like) on condemned Naboths Vineyard, or that hath de­n [...]ed the payment of the fifth part, or a greater proportion of the profits to the sequestred Minister, as equity might require, or that resolves to sit fast to his possession of a sequestred Living, till the Leavor of the Law shall heave him out. Such we are sure are justly stigmatized with injustice, and uncharitableness, and we can name not a few of such.

But w [...] abhor to imitate the practice of our Adversaries, in setting abroad their black Centurys, wherein they gratified not only the Devil but the Pope also; Nay, will not themselves now grant, that their Sc [...]ibe was designed to d [...] a cour [...]esie for the Pope, (under a Presbyterian Vizor,) [...]n throw [...]ng dirt on that Mini­stery of England, who had by their Pens and preaching, so long maintained the b [...]each against his Emissaries; Will not they grant this, (I say) when they shall hear it confirmed, That he with others of the fraternity is fled, to hide himself from Justice under the elbow of a Cardinal?

In short then, the question about our re-investing with our Rights, is not, Whether clear Lights shall be put out, and dark Lanthorns set up? (We are troubled to hear, That such an en­vious comparison should be fathered on so reverend and worthy a person as Mr. Baxter).

We appeal to him and others Learned and godly of the Presby­terian Brethren, Whether they do not know many sequestred Mi­nisters no less learned and godly then their Ejectors? Nay, let them say, if they do not know where Learned and godly men have been put out, and boys, and self-seeking Temporizers have been put in.

But this is the Question, Whether those Lights which the Law of the Land set up in the Candlesticks, or those Williams-with the­wispe, that violence and usurpation conjured up, have the best claim to the Candlesticks?

The Question is not, Whether or no an hopeful Reformation shall be made blank and voided? But, Whether Oppression shall prevail under the name of Reformation? For many of us can pro­fess in the presence of God, That our prayers to him and our en­deavours with men, have been frequent and sincere, to this effect; [Page 5] That the Nation might be reformed from ignorance and propha­ness, and Sectarianisme, and be made a Body of intelligent, serious and united Christians. And if any amongst us strive to hinder that work, wee'l joyn in reading from Mount Ebal that curse against such Let the great Master lay them aside as vessess, in which he hath no pleasure.

Here therefore we adjure our Brethren (who own the know­ledge and conscience of what is just and equal; not to labour fur­ther by clamour, and importunity, and false imputations to hin­der his Sacred Majesty, and this his happy Parliament, from hear­kening to our just Suits, and the cryes of our impoverished Wives and Children, and the groans and desires of our scattered slocks, whose eyes & hearts are generally toward us their lawful Pastours.

Our Desires are not to obstruct the way of any that have been in our Livings, (if deserving men) from such preferments, or im­ployments as they may lawfully pursue.

And we confess, there are many of them of such eminency, for Parts, and Piety, & Moderation, that they are much likelyer to be exalted to the highest Spheres in the Church, then most of us a [...]; And we see it (and rejoyce in it, blessing God from the bottome of our hearts for so prudent and pious a Prince) that his Maje­sties favours lye in common for Brethren both of the Presbyteri­an and Episcopal Judgment.

But this we ask (not only for our own sakes, but that the Mi­nistry be not blamed, and that a stumbled block may not be laid in the way of worldlings, (who plead Ministers leaping upon other mens thresholds) to the hardening of themselves, and that the mouths of our common Adversarys may be stopped) give us up our Rights, shew that you did but take the charge of the slocks, till the rightful Shepherds were again free to look to them, and stop the further progress of that jealousie, that is already entred into the heads of some (both your and our betters:) That the Presbyterian Ministers manifest such discontents, and spirit their prayers and preaching with the former pretences of fears and jealousies, not because of their distances from the Episcopal in point of Church Order, but for fear they should (by Law) be com­pelled to forgoe the sweet Morsels of sequestred Living.

We are sure many of you abhor from any thing that may give rise to this Suspiicion, and for those that do otherwise, the Lord will judge them.